Jody Carrington - Teachers These Days: Stories and Strategies for Reconnection

Education is arguably the most taxing profession on the planet. As teachers, we are simply tired. Recharging, refocusing, and reconnecting with our why is the only way well survive the demands of the job. Dr. Jody Carrington and Laurie McIntosh do just that. Each page of Teachers These Days can only be described as cathartic.

Joe Dombrowski, kindergarten teacher and stand-up comedian

I couldnt put it down. I loved the stories of other educators experiences and the way each chapter ended with a question, a quote, and things to try. It is nice to be given actual strategies and advice on how to move forward. I really appreciated the emphasis on recognizing your privilege and how we cannot ignore race and racism any longer.

Helen Vangool, teacher

Teachers These Days is filled with heartfelt happies and heart-breaking hurts. I connect with the theory-into-practice way that it is set up, and I appreciated the voices of the others in their raw, poignant stories.

Barbara Gruener, teacher and school counselor

Teachers These Days honors the work and experience of educators while providing a familiar context to all teachers. The section on grief is captivating and visceral and beautiful. Thank you both so much for sharing this work, your words, and your wisdom.

Meaghan Reist and Shelley Smith, vice principals and creators of Culture Curators EDU

Ive fallen in love with these ladies over and over again throughout the last few years. They keep challenging me to find my purpose, renew my passion, and focus on connection, all while reminding me Im not alone. Listening to the stories of other educators has created a spark in me to continue connecting with other teachers so we can all continue to walk each other home.

Carly Goruk, teacher

Teachers These Days is a powerful testament to the impact teachers have on children each and every day. It is a book that speaks from experience but, most importantly, it comes from the heart. It will have you laughing one moment and tearing up the next. It has the potential to dramatically change your life perspective.

Chris Smeaton, retired superintendent, leadership coach, and consultant

Reading Teachers These Days, the word that comes to mind is passion. You can feel it radiate from every one of the stories herestories written by educators just like me. Its a reminder that sometimes all you need to do is take a step back, take a breath, and look aroundfor those opportunities for connection with the students we work with but also with the adults in our buildings. The book is a gift filled with Dr. Jody and Lauries knowledge and insight, and I already know I will be revisiting the calls to action at the end of each chapter time and time again throughout the year.

Stephanie Power, educational assistant

My first attempt at writing a book resulted in a self-published best seller. I released Kids These Days on a wing and a prayer on February 14, 2019, after printing ten thousand copies and storing them in my garage. It was a book from the heart, by a psychologist (me), that held the stories of some of the toughest kids Ive seen or worked with across Canada. It was written for educators, parents, leaders, cliniciansanyone, really, who knows or loves a kid. Its full of the stories that shaped me as a psychologist, a mom, a wife, and a woman, who is convinced that my purpose on this planet is to bravely reconnect the world (a small goal, really) by showing (not telling) my own babies how to do it. I wrote a lot of it with educators in mind because some of my greatest mentors have been teachers.

After twelve years of postsecondary education, it was clear to me that many of my professors and advisors had more impact on my views than my parents did. And as my own three children entered the world of education, I became acutely aware of the significant ways educators get woven into the tapestry of the lives of babies just like mine. I knew this to be true for me, too. Having grown up attending a K12 school in rural Viking, Alberta, I can still tell you the first and last name of every teacher I had. I knew where they lived. I knew which ones liked me and which ones didnt. I babysat for at least three of them. When I see any one of them today, I am transported back to that little town that shaped so much of who I am. Teachers are sacred souls, and so many of themso many of youdont know just how powerful they are.

The whole premise of Kids These Days was based on what I knew as a child psychologist: Kids these days face a litany of unique issues and challenges. But kids are not the problem. As is true of every generation, the kids are only going to be OK if those of us holding them are OK. If we are connected, confident, and feel supported when (not if) we struggle at this whole raising-the-next-generation thing, then, and only then, will the kids, these aspiring adults, stand a chance. Heres the thing: we big people need to be connected, too. And therein lies the problem: today, we are more disconnected than ever.

When I started to speak across North America about